


you can learn to love again

by kathoo



Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: (thats just for togafuka) (which spoilers: doesnt happen), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gen, It's not all happy, M/M, Multi, Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unrequited Love, Useless Lesbians, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 01:23:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15830862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathoo/pseuds/kathoo
Summary: “What’s your name?” Komaru inquires, and Touko no longer allows herself to be distracted by the small trivial things about Komaru. After all, she could never even begin to compare to Byakuya. Never.“Hmph,” Touko scoffs, giving Komaru a judgemental look up and down. Then, she allows herself to put on a small smile—it’s meant to come off as cunning, and she hopes it does. “My n-name is Fukawa Touko,” she tells Komaru. “And you’re g-going to be h-helping me.”Touko grabs Komaru’s arm roughly, and—wow, her skin is soft—murmurs the incantation that will bring them to Touko's house..Touko is a sorceress who's madly in love, or so she thinks, with the prince of a nearby kingdom, Byakuya Togami. She decides to kidnap Komaru Naegi, an important member to the kingdom, and holds her for ransom—all she wants is Byakuya. However, things get much more complicated when Touko realizes that she might not be as indifferent towards Komaru as she originally planned to be.





	you can learn to love again

**Author's Note:**

> I put a lot of work and effort into this fic, and I sincerely hope that you will enjoy this! This was originally supposed to be a short one-shot, but I got so into the idea of a fantasy world that I began to include other characters, and began developing a much more complicated plot. And now here we are with a 3-shot where the first chapter alone is around 9k words. Wow.
> 
> I'd like to thank my girlfriend, Cass, as well as my friends Magi, Kate, Juju, and Kat for supporting me as I wrote this! I don't think I would've been able to hold onto this idea for so long without them. You guys are all awesome.

Touko Fukawa has been waiting her entire life for true love. She’s read many tales of princesses and princes meeting and feeling a spark—and she’s been enraptured in all of them. They’re her favorite things to read when she needs to pass time. Immersing herself in a world of happy endings is the only thing that keeps her spirits up when she feels empty.

Not to mention the fact that she can’t help but feel as if she could be one of those princesses. After all, if a ditzy girl unworthy to be the spawn of royalty can have it, why can’t she?

And she knows who she wants her prince to be.

Touko is gazing into her magic mirror. “Show m-me Togami Byakuya,” she commands, and it does.

Byakuya—her beautiful, gorgeous, handsome prince—is sitting on his bed, reading a novel. Touko can’t help but press her finger against the glass, clouding it up just the slightest bit. That’s him. Her prince. She traces his face out with her finger, all while giggling to herself. He’s right there, so close to her reach…

There’s a knock on Byakuya’s door all of a sudden, and Touko watches with interest. “Come in, Naegi,” Byakuya allows, and Touko nods to herself. Naegi Makoto is Byakuya’s adviser. Byakuya hasn’t taken the throne yet, but his father assigned Naegi to him early on so they would be familiar with one another when the time came.

How does Touko know this? The answer is simple: she knows absolutely everything about Byakuya.

Naegi walks in, and Touko watches with small interest. He’ll probably just bother her prince by talking about things like economics and the satisfaction of their subjects. Her prince deserves better than to be hindered with things so trivial all of his life. That’s why Touko will save him.

“Your father wants to have dinner with you,” Naegi tells Byakuya politely.

Byakuya scowls. “Tell my father I’ll speak with him on _my_ terms. I’m busy right now.”

Naegi frowns. “You know I can’t tell him that.”

“Why not?” Byakuya questions. “You’re _my_ adviser. You should do as I say.”

“Togami-kun,” Naegi insists. “It’s not good to refuse your father what he wants. He’s… well, he’s your father.”

“He never does me any favors,” Byakuya hisses. “And _you’re_ supposed to be the one advising _me_.”

Touko can see how upset Byakuya is, and it breaks her heart. She knows deep down that Byakuya will fall in love with her once he sees her—she knows that he’d much rather be her prince than continue the path he’s going on now. She knows all of his father and the scandals his that surround him, and she knows all of the hatred Byakuya harbors towards him.

She wants to save him.

“If I tell your father what you want me to tell him,” Naegi begins, “you know he’s not going to be happy. And you know what happens when your father gets angry, Togami-kun—the people who slave over work for you everyday will be punished, because those are the people he takes it out on. Do you really want that, Togami-kun?”

“Stop calling me that,” Byakuya hisses. “Treat me with more respect. It’s Togami-san, or Togami-sama, if you will.”

“I’ve known you for years,” Naegi reminds him. Touko has seen a similar exchange happen between the two of them many times—Byakuya gets upset because of something that isn’t really Naegi’s fault, and later on in the day Byakuya apologizes and takes back whatever irrational rule he sets in place.

 _He always takes responsibility_ , Touko thinks. _He’s the one for me. There’s no doubt._

Byakuya leaves the room in a fit of anger, slamming the door. Naegi is now staring blankly at the door. Byakuya has most likely gone to eat with his father, and it fills Touko with rage to think about how her prince must do whatever his horrible father wishes. If she could, she would take him away right now.

But she needs to play this right. If she makes the wrong move, she’ll have the royal guard after her. And even though she’s one of the most powerful sorceresses in the land, she can’t handle an army. She needs to do this correctly—or else her plan will be in shambles.

But what is it that she can do?

“T-That’ll be all,” she tells the mirror, and it turns dark, leaving the image of Naegi’s blank face burned in her mind.

There’s only one person she can turn to for advice at a time like this.

 

* * *

 

 

“Touko-chan,” Aoi groans, leaning over the delicate table with little care. “When you said you wanted to come over I thought you wanted to have tea and talk about small things, like my garden or a new book you’re reading. I didn’t think we were going to talk about your _kidnapping_ plans! Which you’re totally not doing, by that way—if I swing by any time and see a hostage, I am so busting them out.”

Aoi Asahina is the most skilled huntress in the land, and surprisingly enough, Touko’s best friend. While they’re almost like opposites of each other—with Aoi being unnaturally peppy, and Touko being unnaturally gloomy—it works out better than anyone would expect. Aoi watches over her well and makes sure that she’s taking care of herself, and Touko makes sure Aoi doesn’t do something stupid enough to get herself killed. It’s a decent fit.

Touko likes Aoi’s house better than her own. It’s neat and tidy, and it feels warm and homey. Not to mention that having everything out on tables instead of stored away makes it feel like less of a dead woman’s house than Touko’s. And Touko doesn’t dust or clean, really—she has spells for that, of course, she just… forgets. Then again, Sakura does almost all of cleaning _for_ Aoi, so maybe Touko’s beloved will enjoy cleaning as much as Sakura.

...She wouldn’t count on it, though.

“S-Shut up!” Touko snaps. “It’s n-not _kidnapping_ … I mean, my b-beloved prince will have surely f-fallen in love with me by then…”

Aoi sighs, taking a sip of her tea. “Don’t you think it’s time you’ve moved on, Touko-chan? There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

“I d-don’t _want_ other fish,” Touko insists, looking down at the red carpet. She has a problem with eye contact. “I want Byakuya-sama… you g-get it, don’t you? What would you d-do if Sakura was a p-princess and you were a sorceress?”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Aoi trails off, mind deep in thought. “Yeah, I do understand. But what are you going to do, Touko-chan? What if he doesn’t fall in love with you? What will you do then?”

Touko gulps. “...I’m not going to worry about that, b-because he will l-love me. I… I know h-he will. We’re perfect for each other.”

“Oh, no,” Aoi whispers. “You’re not going to cast a love spell on him, will you?” The terror in Aoi’s eyes is very annoyingly apparent.

“Of course not!” Touko hisses. “How many times do I have to t-tell you that there’s no such thing? Love can’t be c-created in a potion or a spell. It’s impossible t-to contain, much less f-force someone to feel it. Love _has_ to be natural.”

Aoi releases a sigh of relief. “Oh, good, okay. But how are you going to meet him, much less get him to fall in love with you?”

“I don’t k-know!” Touko says defensively. “I t-thought _you’d_ be a least a l-little help…” Touko sighs. “Maybe y-you’re onto something… m-maybe he’ll hate me because of h-how ugly—”

“Don’t be so pessimistic!” Aoi stops her.

“I call it being a _realist_ ,” Touko mumbles.

Aoi crosses her arms. “Whatever you call it, it’s not right! You need to keep your hopes up, ‘kay? Hope is what fuels everyone—it’s what brings us all together, and it’s what keeps us all sane. So even if deep down you don’t feel like Togami will love you, you need to crush that feeling. Besides, you’re an amazing person, Touko.”

Touko looks up at her, surprised. “I… I—do you really m-mean that, Aoi?”

Aoi smiles at her. “Of course. You’re my best friend, Touko-chan.”

This feeling is what Touko loves most about Aoi—the warmth she brings, even when Touko is feeling down. It really is amazing that despite the many weapons Aoi owns that are scattered about, and despite her amazing hunting skills, she happens to be one of the friendliest people that Touko knows. And that’s really amazing, even though Touko will never say it to her face. She has Sakura for that, anyway.

“I s-still have no idea what to d-do, though,” Touko reminds her, eyes downcast.

“Hm,” Aoi hums. “Why don’t you ask his adviser—Naegi Makoto, was it? You said that they were very close, so maybe Naegi will give you some ideas.”

Touko blinks. Did Aoi just give her… a good idea?

“I… that’s actually a g-great idea,” Touko sputters.

“Oh, good!” Aoi cheers, smiling a huge, wide smile. Touko leans back further into Aoi’s couch. All things aside, Aoi has a very good taste in furniture. Maybe one day she’ll ask Aoi to help her decorate a bit more—for her prince, of course. “I’m glad I could help you Touko-chan. Oh, yeah, that reminds me—do you want to have dinner with Sakura and I tonight? Sakura’s planning on making dinner, and she wants you to be here to try it. She thinks that I lie about it being good—which I don’t, by the way—and she wants a second opinion from someone more blunt.”

Touko gives a slight smile. “Then Sakura’s s-smarter than I thought. Yeah, I’ll c-come by.”

Aoi claps her hands together. “Great!”

Touko stands up, brushing off her long black skirt. Aoi had told her a long time ago that it made her look like more of an old witch than a cool sorceress, but Touko really didn’t care. “I need to get g-going,” Touko announces. “I’m going to t-try to talk to Naegi. T-Thanks, I guess…”

Aoi smiles. “Don’t mention it, Touko-chan. Good luck!”

Touko nods, and murmurs an incantation she’s more than familiar with at this point—one that brings her home in a second’s notice.

As soon as Touko is no longer there, Aoi whispers, “God help that boy,” before she takes another sip of tea.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Touko is standing inside of the royal castle, ready to speak with Naegi.  
  
She’s not an idiot, though—she’s disguised in the rags that the peasants that work here wear. She’ll pretend to be one of them, and in the times that she’s watched Byakuya over the years, she’s gotten to know Naegi as well. Naegi has a kind heart, and she has no doubt that he’ll speak with her. In fact, his kindness will be what brings Byakuya to her.

Before she arrived she asked her mirror where Naegi was, and if he hasn’t moved since, he should be right inside his room. As one of the high-tier workers within the castle, he receives his own luxury room. It’s not nearly as nice as Byakuya’s, but it’s far better than what many others get.

She knocks on the door loudly, although she’s feeling a bit anxious. What if she can’t pull this off? Will she ever find a why to get Byakuya?

“Come in,” Naegi’s voice sounds, and Touko opens in the door and steps in.

She feels so… disgusting in these worn down rags, but she knows that if she wore anything else it would be strange. Forcing those who serve him to live like this… Byakuya’s father truly was a cruel man. “I’m here to c-clean your r-room,” Touko tells him, hoping that her stuttering will only make her seem like she’s a scared maid.

Naegi looks up from where he’s lying down on his bed and gives her a reassuring smile. “Oh, yes, of course. Don’t mind me. Do you need me to leave?”

“That w-won’t be necessary, M-Master,” she assures him, feeling sick to her stomach. The only person she’d _ever_ call ‘master’ is Byakuya himself, not his wimpy sidekick. Although… Naegi has been a good friend to Byakuya over the years, even if Byakuya himself doesn’t call Naegi a friend out loud. And anyone who helps her prince is someone she can respect.

Naegi winces. “Oh, that’s not necessary. Just… call me Naegi,” he tells her, clearly uncomfortable.

Touko nods and takes the rag in hand and gently begins wiping it against the surface of Naegi’s desk. She prepares herself mentally before she says, “You l-look troubled, Naegi. Would you c-care to talk about it?”

 _This is it_ , she thinks. _This is where it all begins._

When she turns around Naegi looks surprised. Is it that not many people ask him of his troubles? She wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case—after all, as some people say, it’s lonely at the top. She would know better than others.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Naegi brushes off, and Touko begins to feel annoyance prick at her skin. She hates it when other people stall saying useless things such as, “Don’t worry about it,” or, “It’s nothing,”—why waste time using those rather than get to the point?

Naegi, however, does not stop there. “It’s just everything regarding my sister’s engagement.”

What? Naegi had a sister? In all the years of watching Byakuya and—inevitably—Naegi, she had not heard them speak of Naegi’s sister.

“Your sister is e-engaged?” Touko inquires. Surely that’s something big enough to mention at least _once_ in the times that Touko had been watching.

Naegi nods, his eyes slightly widened. “You haven’t heard? It’s all the castle workers speak of these days... my sister is engaged to a prince of another kingdom. He along with his father came to this kingdom in order to establish peace with Togami-ku—er, Byakuya’s father and him, and he caught sight of Komaru. He claimed it was love at first sight, but… I’m more than a little wary of him. He offered a large sum of money in order for Byakuya’s father to allow a member of his castle to marry him, and Byakuya’s father accepted, of course. In a year, when she’s eighteen, she’s going to be married off to him… I just can’t stand the thought of her in another kingdom all alone. She’s too kind, I don’t know if she’ll be okay. I don’t know if I’ll be able to even see her again…”

Touko takes it all in at once. Naegi clearly cares for his sister dearly—he truly is an honorable person, even if he has the strength of a twig.

“And my best friend, Kirigiri Kyouko, has been pretty distant lately,” Naegi sighs. “Nothing is really going well for me, is it? I’m sorry for saying so much, it’s just nice to have someone to listen. What’s your name?”

“My name is… um—Astrid,” she says. “My name is Astrid. I c-come from another k-kingdom, and I was brought here as a child. And I’m very sorry for everything that’s h-happening to you, Naegi.”

“Ah,” Naegi murmurs. “Astrid… I’ve never heard of a name like that before, but it’s beautiful. In any case, I should leave you to your work.”

Touko nods, although internally she feels like yelling in victory.

It’s a simple plan, really—Naegi Komaru is of high value to the king. If she were to _have_ Komaru Naegi and hold her for ransom in exchange for Byakuya… well, it’s safe to say that it just might work out. She can’t kidnap Byakuya directly—he’s under far too much protection, and if he vanished than the king would be able to hire sorcerers to trace Touko’s magic back to her house. However, if Komaru is as kind as Naegi said she is, than Touko might be able to lure her outside somehow… and if she can, then Touko could take them back to Touko’s house with ease. While magic is easy to track indoors, outside it’s much more difficult—overlapping trails makes it almost impossible.

Touko smiles to herself as she scrubs against Naegi’s desk with all the might she has—after all, she isn’t very strong.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Show me Naegi Komaru,” she mumbles into the mirror, and it does.

She sees a girl who seems to be very close to her age. Touko isn’t going to lie—everything about this girl resembles cuteness. If she wasn’t so lovingly devoted to her prince, she might even admit that she found Komaru to be attractive. _Who knew someone as short and seemingly useless as Naegi could have such a good-looking sister? No wonder some random prince wanted to snatch her up._

Komaru is standing outside, picking an apple off the top of a tree leisurely. Touko thinks it’s absurd how absolutely unguarded she is—they’re idiots, probably thinking things like, _oh, no one will bother with her—why would they?_

And yet now they’ve left Komaru vulnerable to none other than Touko herself.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Komaru is reaching forward to pick another apple off of the same tree when Touko appears, mist surrounding her and then fading off. The sound startles Komaru, and the to-be-princess falls off of the ladder she is standing on. “Ah!” Komaru yelps, and Touko is suddenly struck by how gorgeous Komaru’s voice is.

Touko can’t even really _think_ before Komaru falls right into her arms without warning. Out of pure surprise and the sudden force of Komaru’s landing, Touko stumbles backwards with Komaru still in her arms, and onto the ground with a sudden _thud_. Touko lets out a groan, and _damn,_ her back _hurts_.

“Ugh,” Touko groans, regretting the entire situation. Komaru’s added weight really isn’t helping, either.

Komaru shakily gets up to her feet, and Touko is blinking the dust in her eyes away. She brings an unsteady hand to her eyes and tries to wipe the aforementioned dust away, but only manages to make it worse. _Typical me_ , she thinks to herself.

Touko looks up at Komaru with one eye. Komaru, however, looks surprisingly sheepish. “Sorry,” Komaru apologizes, and Touko can only think about how she was right earlier—Komaru’s voice is really beautiful. These aren’t things she could ever bring herself to say out loud, though. “I was really surprised by a sound, and I fell right on you… but you helped me, didn’t you? I really owe you one.”

Komaru gives her a small smile—it’s barely the slightest curve upwards of her lips, and yet Touko feels butterflies form in her stomach. _This is weird_ , she thinks to herself. _I’ve only felt things like with with Byakuya-sama—and no one could ever compare to Byakuya-sama. Maybe it’s because she has a royal air to her like Byakuya-sama does. That has to be it._

Komaru did have _bow to me, I’m royal_ vibes about her, which was surprising considering that Komaru’s clothes weren’t anything better, and her posture was entirely relaxed. Maybe it was just Touko being Touko.

Komaru offers Touko a hand, and Touko reaches out and grabs it.

“Tch,” Touko mumbles as she dusts the dirt off of her long skirt. How filthy. She feels like a pig.

“What’s your name?” Komaru inquires, and Touko no longer allows herself to be distracted by the small trivial things about Komaru. After all, she could never even begin to compare to Byakuya. Never.

“Hmph,” Touko scoffs, giving Komaru a judgemental look up and down. Then, she allows herself to put on a small smile—it’s meant to come off as cunning, and she hopes it does. _I probably look ugly,_ Touko thinks. _I always do. I always am._ “My n-name is Fukawa Touko,” she tells Komaru. “And you’re g-going to be h-helping me.”

Touko grabs Komaru’s arm roughly, and— _wow, her skin is soft_ —murmurs the incantation that will bring them home. Komaru’s sudden protest dies as they no longer stand in the forest near to the castle.

The apples that Komaru had been picking remain in the basket on the ground. Someone will find it eventually and make use of it, probably.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Touko is more than used to the feeling of suddenly arriving at home. However, she now realizes that her guest is most certainly _not_ used to the feeling.

“Ah!” Komaru shouts as they arrive, immediately falling over and onto the couch. The blanket that had been sitting on top of the couch falls onto Komaru nicely.

Touko scowls. “Hey,” she says in an accusatory voice, “I spent a lot of time f-finding the s-spell to fold that thing!”

“What…?” Komaru mutters, her voice small. “Um,” she begins, voice panicked. Her voice begins to rise as she asks, “Where are we?”

Komaru sits up and looks around frantically, and Touko knows that things are going downhill very quickly. Maybe she should have planned a bit more ahead.

Touko clears her throat. “I’m a sorceress,” Touko announces. “I’ve p-placed a spell on this h-house—you can’t l-leave through the doors or the windows! F-For a non-magic user such as y-yourself, you’re trapped!”

Komaru brings a hand up to her head to rubs it gently. She must have hurt herself on the way down. “I’m… trapped?” she echoes, clearly confused. “What?”

Touko groans. “You’re staying here! Y-You can’t leave!”

“What?” Komaru repeats.

“Ugh!” Touko throws her hands up in the air. “You’re a r-real airhead, aren’t you? J-Just an absolute idiot…”

“Hey!” Komaru protests. “You can’t call someone you don’t know an idiot. That’s just… really mean and totally unnecessary.”

Touko practically gawks at her. “I _kidnapped_ you—and now you’re giving m-me a l-lecture on what’s rude and what’s n-not?”

Komaru shakes her head, her hand still present on top of it. “This… I just…” she begins, unsure. “I… you _kidnapped_ me? But why? Wait… you’re not going to boil me alive, are you?” Komaru looks around nervously, searching for a cauldron.

Touko rolls her eyes. “Of course not!” she refutes. “You k-know your p-prince, Byakuya-sama, c-correct?”

Komaru shrugs. “I guess.”

Touko really doesn’t understand a thing. How can Komaru be so calm in a situation like this? Wouldn’t a normal girl start freaking out? Komaru did seem a little slow, though—maybe she’d have a delayed reaction of some sort? _Or maybe I should be grateful that she’s not freaking out_ , she thinks. _That’d just be a pain, wouldn’t it?_

Touko adjusts her glasses, and places her foot on the ground primly, as to show how far above Komaru she is. “He’s _my_ p-prince,” Touko declares, and she has to stop herself from relaxing her mouth too much—drool might fall. “And we’re in l-love. However, he’s r-royalty… and it’s not easy to g-get my hands on him. So, instead, I’m g-going to hold _you_ for ransom.”

Komaru’s mouth is slightly agape. “I—I mean— _what_? That’s… that’s so… I don’t get it. Why me? And… since when did Togami-san fall in love with a sorceress?”

“You’re v-very important to the king, and you’re going to g-get him a lot of m-money,” Touko points out. “He’ll want y-you back.”

“But don’t you think that his only son is more important to him?” Komaru suggests and Touko knows that Komaru knows of all the scandals—she’s just playing dumb.

“I know all about the king’s mistresses,” Touko hisses. “He has e-enough sons—he’ll just pick a random one and claim that it’s his l-long lost son, and that he was taken away. Maybe he’ll e-even say that i-it’s Byakuya-sama’s t-twin…”

“You know?” Komaru whispers, clearly shocked. “B-But… no one knows.”

Touko rolls her eyes. “Well _I_ d-do… I’m going to send a letter to the kingdom. I’ll give them five days to give me Byakuya-sama.”

“And if they refuse?” Komaru asks, fear evident on her features.

“I’ll… send you back, I guess,” Touko admits. “I’ll j-just find another way t-to get Byakuya-sama.”

“Oh,” Komaru says simply. “You’re kind of nice.”

“That’s an idiotic t-thing to say t-to your kidnapper,” Touko tells her, giving her a look as judgemental as she can muster.

Before Komaru can make a remark, there’s a loud ringing that echoes throughout the room. It hits her suddenly— _someone’s calling me. What a horrible timing._

Touko turns around to face her vibrating mirror. She sighs and gives Komaru a side-eyed glance, “Don’t do a-anything, or I’ll t-turn you into a frog,” she warns, and Komaru gives her a stiff nod. Touko gently taps the mirror, and suddenly she’s looking at Aoi through the glance.

“Touko-chan,” Aoi hisses, clearly upset. “You said you’d be here tonight! Sakura-chan made extra, just for you. We were all gonna have a fun night. What was so important that you couldn’t be here, much less tell us in advice—like, I don’t know, a normal person.”

 _Oh, right,_  she thinks to herself. _I said I’d be there. Why can’t I ever plan things accordingly? I should have kidnapped Komaru tomorrow—Aoi and I never cancel on each other._ A second late it hits Touko how strange it is to use the phrase ‘I should have kidnapped Komaru tomorrow’ as if it’s a regular activity that’s something she’d write on her calendar, but she’s too panicked too mull over it too much.

“I—I, um—” Touko begins, before Komaru suddenly pops right next to her, in view of the mirror. _When did she get here?_

“Hey!” Komaru shouts into the mirror. “Can you hear me? Your cute friend kidnapped me! I’m stuck here!”

“ _What?_ ” Aoi demands through the mirror.

“C-Cute?” Touko sputters, giving Komaru a weird look.

“Touko-chan, I swear to god—”

“It’s not what you think, Aoi! This… this is my cousin! She’s just messing with you!” Touko tries to amend the situation.

“I am _not_ your cousin. If I was I would be way prettier.”

“P-Pretty?” Touko stutters.

Aoi groans, and then gives Touko a stern look. “I’m going to enjoy this night with my wife, because we both deserve it. But tomorrow morning I’m going to come over there, and when I arrive there’d _better_ not be a hostage there. Got it?”

Usually Touko isn’t one listen to Aoi of all people, but Aoi isn’t happy, and that scares her more than anything, so she only nods.

“I’ll be there,” Aoi promises, although it sounds more like a threat. The mirror flashes off.

“You… you idiot!” Touko yells, pointing a finger Komaru’s way. Komaru, at the very least, looks sheepish.

“Sorry I got you in trouble with your friend,” Komaru apologizes, although she doesn’t seem that sorry. Then again, Touko _is_ her kidnapper, so why would she be sorry for asking someone for help?

“I’m… I’m n-not in _trouble_!” Touko denies, not wanting Komaru to think she was some sort of baby. “Just… ugh. Are y-you always this annoying?”

Komaru casts Touko a smile, and Touko can’t help the way that her heart flips. “You think I’m annoying? Usually people think I’m friendly. Maybe I’m a little extroverted, but I just like making new friends.”

Touko shakes her head. “I’m s-sure your fiancé thinks you’re v-very _friendly…_ ”

Komaru’s face morphs into an unreadable expression at the mention of her fiancé. For the first time since her arrival, Komaru didn’t have anything to say to that. Despite barely knowing this girl, Touko knows that Komaru is usually the kind of person to respond—and that only makes the silence much more unnerving.

Touko decides to brush it off. “A-Anyway, it’s l-late… you should sleep.”

Komaru eyes Touko’s ragged couch with an unhappy look. “I’m not sleeping here… am I?” Touko would be the first to admit that her couch is distasteful, but seeing a complete stranger hate it so much just makes her feel… angry.

“Bye,” she mutters, and murmurs a spell she memorized every time she wanted Aoi to go away back when they were barely friends—and before Komaru can ask some dumb question like, “What are you saying,” she’s gone in a flash—Touko’s sent her to her assigned room. _She’d better like it. I tidied it up just for her._

Touko sighs, and retreats to her own bedroom.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 _Dear King Togami,_ she writes, and closes her eyes and she thinks of what to write. Usually writing is something she’s good at—she loves reading literature and writing it herself. She has a knack for it. However, in this instance, her hand can’t seem to remain steady, nor her mind focused. It’s a mess, really. She sighs, and forces herself to think of the words to compose this _very_ important letter.

 

 _As I’m sure you may have noticed by the time this letter arrives to your castle, Naegi Komaru has gone missing. No, she did not wonder into the woods on her lonesome and get lost—she is with me. And, no, she did not come willingly—I kidnapped her. Naegi Komaru has no means of escape, and unless you wish her along with the money you will be receiving from her fiancé_ _to disappear, I think you’ll listen to the proposition I have for you._

_You will give me Togami Byakuya, and in exchange, I will return Naegi Komaru. I know of the many women you’ve impregnated, and I know of the many children that you have. You can claim any as your “lost long son” whenever you so desire—you cannot, however, get another Naegi Komaru. I will give you five days to make your decision._

_If you choose to give me your son, then…_

 

Then what? What will the king do? She really should have put more thought into this. She sighs, and scribbles down the whereabouts of an abandoned cottage not far off from the kingdom—if she checks in on Byakuya every so often, she’ll know when he’s arrived.

 

_Leave him there. Alone. If you do this, Naegi Komaru will be returned the following day. If you choose not to hand your son over, then don’t expect to be seeing Naegi Komaru soon. Or ever again._

_Sincerely, T.F._

 

Touko loves writing letters. She doesn’t stutter in letters. She can write whatever she wants in letters. She can be as threatening as she wants in letters.

It’s the _real_ magic, if she’s being honest. With a small murmur of ancient words, the letter is off—and if she performed it correctly, which she’s more than sure she did, it’s now in the king’s chambers. He’ll find it tomorrow morning, most likely.

But for now, Touko can only hope that one day she’ll find a spell to help her fall asleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Touko stumbles out of her room, wiping away at her eyes to attempt to awaken herself up a bit more, but to no avail. She sighs and continues staggering forward, her footing slightly off due to the exhaustion pricking at her. She doesn’t really want to wake up, but she can’t go back to sleep, so she might as well deal with—

There’s an indistinct _clatter_ that comes from the kitchen, followed by a sharp, “Ow!”

Touko immediately quickens her pace so she can reach the end of the hallway and make a right, and when the kitchen is in view, all she sees is Naegi Komaru, who is sitting on the ground while rubbing her head. Touko doesn’t know whether to be surprised or annoyed.

“How did you g-get here?” Touko demands, although her voice sounds a bit rough from having just woken up.

Komaru shrugs while on the ground. “You didn’t lock the door or anything, so… I just left.”

“I h-have a dungeon,” Touko lies. “If you wander around t-too much, you’ll find yourself t-there… and the door will lock on its o-own.”

“I’ll make sure not to close any doors behind me, then!” Komaru promises, and beams up at her. _Does this girl know how annoying she is? Why can’t she just be a good prisoner and stay in her room until it’s time for her to go?_ “I was hungry,” Komaru continues after a moment of silence. “So… I decided to make myself food. I didn’t think you’d mind all that much—”

“How c-could you know that? We’ve just m-met, idiot!” Touko scolds.

“—so I made my way to the kitchen,” Komaru finishes her sentence, deciding to ignore Touko’s previous statement. “But none of the these cabinets will open. The fridge, too. What’s up with this house?”

“Geez, do I look like an i-idiot or something?” Touko hisses. “They’re all s-sealed with magic! I don’t want any g-gross people like _you_ to take my f-food or something…”

The truth is that Aoi used to come into her house late at night without even realizing it—she called it “sleep snacking,” and it was actually quite terrifying. Aoi would take the food out of her cabinets, and sometimes she would eat them, and sometimes she wouldn’t. Sometime she’d just throw them on the floor and wake up Touko with all the loud crunching sounds.

_“This isn’t normal,” Aoi had said to her once. “I think a witch cursed me. That’s got to be the only explanation.”_

Touko shakes her head and brings herself back to reality.

Komaru looks confused. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to just seal off the house, then? Or do you not mind them sleeping on your couch, but you’d prefer it if they didn’t eat your food?”  
  
Touko knows that Komaru basically isn’t even capable of sarcasm and is genuinely confused, but Touko feels mocked, and she doesn’t like that feeling. “I _do_ have a seal on the house,” she lies. She doesn’t. She wants her friends—Aoi and Sakura, really—to be able to enter during the late hours of night in case of an emergency. “I just need to be sure.”

Komaru gives her an expectant look. “So… are you going to open the cabinets for me?”

Touko glares at her. “O-Obviously not. B-Besides, aren’t you preparing to b-be a princess? Aren’t you p-pampered? Do you even know _how_ t-to make b-breakfast?”

Komaru crosses her arms, clearly trying to get the point across that she’s upset, but since she’s still sitting on the ground she looks more like a pouting cat than an angry person. Touko always liked cats better, anyway. “I do!” Komaru insists. “I make my _own_ breakfast every morning. I’m more than capable. I don’t think you’re judging me very fairly…”

Touko makes a disgusted face towards Komaru, which she admits is a bit much, but she needs to get the point across. “I don’t l-like peasants who c-cross over into royalty j-just because a delusional prince t-thinks she’s _the one_ ,” Touko explains. “It’s an insult to people l-like me who w-were born for royalty!”

“How are you any different from me?” Komaru demands, unrelenting.

“B-Because… you’re just c-cute and everything!” Touko tells her. “You l-look good, which is why that prince w-wanted you. I’m… not. S-So when Byakuya-sama f-falls in love with m-me… I’ll k-know it’s because we’re f-fated lovers, not b-because he’s horny!”

“It sounds like you just have a bias against cute girls,” Komaru argues, “which you are, by the way. Cute, I mean. I think you’re cute. But cute girls can do anything anyone else can, you know! I’ve met a fair share of queens and empresses through my lifetime, and I thought they were cute. But they’re not at the top because they’re rich or they look good—in this society, women like that are knocked down as soon as they start by guys. They’re up at the top because they’re _smart_ , and they didn’t let something like that happen!”

Touko gives her a wary point. “I… I g-guess that is a fair point. The p-part about queens and empresses, I m-mean. Not about m-me being cute. You’re w-wrong about that part—I t-think you need glasses, b-because you’re obviously just a b-blind idiot.”

“Glasses?” Komaru echoes. “I don’t think I could pull off glasses like you can. You look so cute in them!”

“A-Again with that word!” Touko hisses. “I am _not_ c-cute!”

“You so are,” Komaru says.

“I am s-so not,” Touko counters.

“You are!”

“I _am_ not!”

“You are,” Komaru singsongs.

Touko huffs. “T-This isn’t even worth it.”

“Aren’t you hungry?” Komaru asks. “Don’t you want food? I know you want food. Let me make it!”

“No,” Touko insists.

“Please?” Komaru begs.

“I don’t t-trust you! You’d p-probably poison it,” Touko accuses, feeling unsafe. Komaru has  every reason to do so—Touko is her kidnapper, after all. And Komaru seems reckless enough to do somethinig so stupid. Then again, Komaru _does_ seem to be kind… to the point where it was almost annoying. Actually, scratch that—it _was_ annoying. _It would be so much easier if she was a snob. Then I could just lock her up, slide her food and water, and not feel bad about it._

“Where would I even _get_ poison?” Komaru inquires, not genuinely curious, but trying to make a point. “But… I get where you’re coming from. Why don’t we just make breakfast together?”

“To… gether…?” Touko echoes, unsure. “...No t-thanks…”

“But… why?” Komaru continues. “We’re only going to spend five days together, and then I’m going home, right? It can’t hurt to make one breakfast together, can it, Touko-chan?”

Touko’s head snaps up to glare at Komaru. “What the h-hell did you just call me?”

Komaru presses her palm against the ground in order to assist herself in standing. Once Komaru is on her feet, she meets Komaru’s glare with a welcoming glance of her own. “Your friend called you that,” Komaru reminds her. “It was so cute. Touko-chan just has this amazing ring to it, doesn’t it? I want to call you that.”

“Absolutely not,” Touko hisses. It’s _Aoi’s_ nickname—and Aoi’s only. She’s not going to let some fake princess—well, future princess—walk in and take the name it took years for Touko to let Aoi use. Aoi _earned_ Touko’s friendship by remaining a consistent shoulder to lean on. Even when Touko herself was beginning to doubt the entire Byakuya situation, it was Aoi who told her to keep hope, no matter what.

“Not Touko-chan?” Komaru attempts, looking disappointed.

“No!”

Komaru sighs. “Fine, fine. I’ll just find another nickname for you, then.”

“Why a-are you trying to get all friendly?” Touko demands, crossing her arms. No one’s ever been this… _nice_ to her. Except for Aoi, that is, but even then Aoi wouldn’t put up with her all the time. She knew when to get frustrated.

“Hm,” Komaru hums, as if she didn’t hear when Touko had just said. Maybe she didn’t. “A nickname… Oh! What about Touki?”

Touko flushes. Touki… what kind of nickname was that? Sure, it’s cute. Adorable, actually—really adorable. And hearing it from Komaru’s voice was even cuter. But…

“I hate it,” Touko lies.

“I don’t think you do,” Komaru argues, beaming up at her. “You didn’t like it when I called you Touko-chan. I could tell from the tone of your voice. But you don’t hold that same conviction anymore. I think you secretly like it.”

Touko feels exposed, and she does not like it. “S-Shut up! You don’t k-know anything, anyway!”

Komaru laughs. “It’s okay, Touki. It’s just an innocent nickname. I’ll be gone pretty soon, anyway, won’t I?”

“I don’t get it,” Touko admits. “I k-kidnapped you. I took you away f-from your own brother. A-Aren’t you upset? You should be u-upset. You should h-hate me.”

“I don’t hate people very easily,” Komaru explains. “I like to believe in the best of everyone. And you may have taken me away, and yeah, I’m not very happy about that. I know I should be mad, but… I’m just not. It’s not like you’ve mistreated me or anything. You’re kind of mean, but I think you’re secretly soft underneath. And you said you were going to send me back soon, too. And… you’re not doing it for no reason. You have love on your side, right? You love Togami-san.”

Touko nods, feeling small. “I… I do.”

“Then I forgive you,” Komaru says. “Because… I don’t like hating people. And there are enough reasons not to hate you.”

Touko is silent for a moment. She doesn’t know what to say—and even if she did know what to say, she doubts she’d ever have the guts to say it. It’s just the kind of person she is. She covers herself up by saying things she doesn’t really mean, but when the time comes, she can’t be genuine.

“Anyway,” Komaru brushes the subject off, “can we make breakfast, now?”

“I… usually u-use magic,” Touko admits, feeling embarrassed. She looks at the floor, unwilling to meet Komaru’s eyes.

“You don’t know how to cook?” Komaru inquires, leaning her head a bit to the side. _She’s… really cute. God, I need to stop thinking things like that. I don’t really mean them. She’s… she’s ugly!_

Touko can’t even really lie to _herself_ properly.

“N-No… but _you_ can’t use m-magic! So I’m b-better than you, anyway!” Touko declares, covering her insecurity. In truth, there are a lot of ordinary things that Touko doesn’t know how to do. But she can just find a spell any time of the day, so what does it even matter?

“What if I _show_ you?” Komaru suggests, giving her a devious look that Touko’s never seen her wear before. Maybe there’s a lot about Komaru that she doesn’t know of.  
“I don’t t-trust you,” Touko tells her. “You’d p-probably blow up this entire p-place!”

Komaru presses her fists against her chests, like she’s begging. “Please! _Please_! C’mon, I won’t let you down, Touki!”

“Don’t c-call me that!”

“Please? Pretty please? I’ll make it extra good, just for you! Plus, you’ll be learning things. Isn’t that nice?” Komaru tries to reason.

Touko lets out a long, over-exaggerated sigh. “Fine.”

Komaru’s shout of joy echoes throughout the room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

As Touko finishes the last pancake, she lets out a sigh. “That was… p-pretty good for an airhead.”

Komaru puffs her cheeks out. “I am _not_ an airhead! I’m pretty smart. I love puzzles and riddles. Did you know that I’m the riddle queen?”

“T-That’s not an actual title,” Touko argues.

“Oh, it is. And it’s mine. I’m the riddle queen!”

Touko is about to argue her case again when the doorbell rings.

“You have a visitor,” Komaru announces.

“I _know_ t-that!” Touko hisses. But who would it be? She doesn’t know of anyone who would be—

Oh. Aoi.

_It’s Aoi! She’s going to yell at me for bringing Komaru here. Great. Just… great._

“It’s my friend that y-you saw last n-night,” Touko explains, her eyes narrowed at Komaru. “The one you r-ratted me out t-to.”

“If you were kidnapped, would you _not_ try to call for help?”

“Just… whatever!” Touko shouts, stress pricking at her. What if Aoi tries to bring Komaru back? What if Aoi doesn’t want to be her friend anymore? What if—

“Hey,” Komaru murmurs. “I’m sorry.”

This is wrong. Komaru shouldn’t be apologizing. Touko’s the one in the wrong. Touko’s always the one in the wrong.

“I’ll tell your friend that I was just kidding,” Komaru suggests, giving Touko a sympathetic smile.

“No.” Touko shakes her head. “I’ll… I’ll e-explain everything t-to her. It’s just be e-easier. And… I shouldn’t have l-lied to her in the first place. I said I wouldn’t d-do anything crazy, but I did.

Komaru gives her a light smile. “You’re a good friend, Touki.”

Touko chooses not to comment on the nickname that _definitely does not_ like. Not at all. Never.

As Touko walks over to answer the doorbell, Komaru shouts over, “I’ll wash the dishes!”

Touko gives her a weird look. “W-Why? I can just use m-magic.”

Komaru stares at her. “You don’t… know how to wash dishes? You know what, forget it—I’ll teach you another time.”

Touko nods, not feeling like hurling an insult. She tentatively walks towards the door, her footsteps creaking against the wooden floor. _This is it,_  she thinks. _Hopefully I can explain everything without feeling too stupid about it… I did the right thing. I did it for Byakuya-sama and I._

Touko opens the door. Aoi is standing there with an expectant look.

“Well?” Aoi asks. Touko gulps and stands aside, allowing Aoi to enter.

Aoi scans the area, before she finally settles on Komaru. Before either Touko or Aoi can say anything, Komaru shoots Aoi a smile. “Hi!” she greets. “I’m Naegi Komaru.”

Aoi looks beyond confused, and if Touko wasn’t so nervous she might even snicker. “Um… hi?” Aoi says, unsure. “I’m Asahina Aoi.”

“That’s such a pretty name,” Komaru compliments, still standing behind the counter. “I wish I had a name like that. You’re Touki’s friend, right?”

“Touki?” Aoi echoes, before breaking into a full-on grin. “Oh my god… that’s such a cute nickname! Why didn’t I think of that?” Aoi laughs before turning to Touko. “I really thought you had some sort of hostage here, but it seems like she’s your friend. Were you two just playing a prank on me?”

Touko rubs her foot against the floor. “Well… no. She wasn’t. I d-did kidnap her… and I’m s-sorry. I know I s-said I wouldn’t d-do anything crazy, and I d-did, and I’m sorry.”

Aoi glances between the two of them. “Um… are you _sure_ that you kidnapped her? Because she _really_ doesn’t seem like a hostage, Touko-chan.”

“S-She is! I already t-told you!”

“I am,” Komaru admits. “But I think Touki and I are becoming fast friends. Aren’t we, Touki?”

“We a-are not!”

“I think I need to sit down,” Aoi tells them. “This is way too confusing. Can you both explain it to me so I understand?”

And that’s how they all ended up on the couch, drinking tea. It really felt like more of a ‘friend’s-hanging-out’ moment than ‘not-so-friends-talking-about-how-one-of-them-kidnapped-another’ moment.

“I… I w-wanted to get Byakuya-sama, but I c-can’t, because of a lot of r-reasons that are hard to explain,” Touko begins, looking down at her shoes. “S-So… I kidnapped K-Komaru and I’m h-holding her as ransom.”

“Wait… Naegi Komaru, right? As in, the prince’s adviser’s sister?” Aoi questions, her mouth slightly agape.

“Y-Yeah.”

Aoi almost spits out her tea. “Touko-chan!”

“It’s j-just for f-five days!”

“Touki’s been pretty nice,” Komaru admits. “Maybe we’re not friends now, but by the time this is over, we’re going to be _best_ friends.”

“N-Not happening,” Touko denies.

“Just… continue,” Aoi sighs.

“That’s pretty much i-it,” Touko admits. “I’m s-sorry… but I have to d-do this. I love Byakuya-sama.”

Aoi gives her a look that Touko can’t decipher before finally saying, “Okay. Fine. Komaru doesn’t seem upset, and that’s the only reason that I’m not taking her back. You’re my friend, Touko-chan, but this… it really isn’t okay. And I know that you know that, and I know that this won’t happen again, and I trust you. But I’m going to check in a lot, okay? Count on it.”

Touko nods, feeling ashamed. _I don’t regret this, but… it just feels so awful to be scolded by my best friend._

“Are you sure you’re okay, Komaru?” Aoi asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sure,” Komaru insists. “I mean… I miss my brother a lot. I’m sure he’s worried about me, and I feel terrible for that. I just hope that he trusts that I’m okay.”

Aoi gives her one the of softest looks that Touko’s ever seen in her life. “It’s going to be okay, Komaru. You’re really strong—I can tell. I can also tell that you want to help Touko-chan, and that’s really admirable. You’re an amazing friend. I… used to have a brother, too. I actually don’t know if I still have one or not, because I lost him a long time ago, when we were kids. My parents were irresponsible. They weren’t… kind or nice to us. I tried to protect him the best I could, but… I didn’t do it well enough. I was a failure. He ran away.”

Touko’s heard this story before, but she can tell that Komaru is taking this story very, very seriously.

“I’ve been looking for him for years,” Aoi says, clearly making an effort not to tear up. “I… I haven’t given up yet, but I’ve started to lose hope. I don’t know what to do. Maybe… maybe he’s dead.”

Komaru shakes her head. She stands up, and walks over to Aoi and welcomes her in an embrace. “Don’t lose hope,” Komaru urges. “Sometimes hope is all you have.”

Aoi laughs, short and breathy. “Yeah.”

Once the hug is over, Aoi stands up and brushes off her pants. “I’m sorry for that. But, anyway, we can be friends too, Komaru. Touko-chan will let you call me over any time, I’m sure.”

Touko nods. “Of c-course…”

Aoi smiles. “Bye, Komaru. Bye, Touko.”

Once Aoi is standing at the door once more, she looks back for moment and says, “Oh, and Touko-chan? We’re still best friends, y’know. There’s almost nothing in this world that could change that.”

The door creaks as it slams shut.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“There’s nothing to do here!” Komaru whines, stretching herself out on Touko’s couch. “What do you do for fun, Touki?”

“Stop calling me that,” Touki scolds. “And y-you’re sure m-making yourself at home…”

“I mean, I’m going to be here for five days, so I might as well get comfortable, right?” Komaru looks up at Touko. “I’m not trying to be annoying or anything, I swear! I just… I miss home, so I want this to feel like it.”

Touko’s gaze softens as she nods. “I s-suppose that makes sense.”

“Do you have anything to do around here?” Komaru asks again.  
  
Touko rolls her eyes. “Hmph. Once you’re a princess you’ll have a m-million things t-to do, so don’t s-start complaining!”

Komaru’s mouth morphs into a thin line. “Um… can we not talk about my future marriage if that’s okay with you, Touki? I just… anyway, if you marry Byakuya-sama, won’t that make you a princess, too?”

Touko scoffs, although she takes note of Komaru’s discomfort towards her future marriage. “It’s n-not the same! We wouldn’t l-live in that dumb c-castle, anyway. We’d live h-here, happily.”

Komaru looks very interested. “This is so weird. Togami-san has never really seemed like he was in love, or even that he was interested in love in the first place. Maybe he’s good at covering it up? Either way, this is really surprising to me.”

Touko looks around, still standing behind the couch. “Well… I m-mean… we haven’t technically _met_ yet…”

Komaru stares at her. “Um… what?”

“I watch him t-through this mirror,” Touko admits. “I’ve b-been watching him for so long that I… I fell in love… b-but don’t get the wrong idea! He’ll l-love me, too! He just needs to m-meet me first…”

“Touki, I don’t mean this in a harsh way or anything,” Komaru begins, and Touko can already tell that she isn’t going to like it. _It’s not like I care about her opinion anyway. It doesn’t even matter_ , she thinks. It’s an obvious lie. “But you really sound like a stalker.”

“A s-stalker?” Touko sputters, caught by surprise. “No, I’m n-not—I mean—I’m n-not like a… a stalker! I’m not!”

Komaru gives her a sheepish smile. “Whatever you say, Touki…”

“Drop the n-nickname, already!”

Komaru is silent for a moment before she says, “You said that mirror can watch anyone, right? Anyone at all?”

“That’s what a-anyone means,” Touko deadpans, crossing her arms, unimpressed.

“Can… can it watch my brother?”

Touko feels like her heart stopped for just a beat. After a moment of painful silence, Touko answers, “Yes, it can. Do you… want to s-see him?”

Komaru nods.

“C-Come over here,” Touko calls for her, and Komaru walks Touko’s way.

“Thank you,” Komaru whispers before they’ve even reached the mirror, and Touko’s heart does a flip that she wishes she could control. But she can’t, and it drives her crazy.

“W-Whatever,” Touko mutters, pretending not to care. Once they’ve reached the mirror, Touko says in a low but assertive voice, “Show me Naegi Makoto.”

And it does.

“Ransom,” Naegi is murmuring. “Ransom! I… I don’t… what do we do?” Naegi and Byakuya are both standing in Byakuya’s room. This is the most frantic Touko has ever seen Naegi in all her years of watching him interact with Byakuya. They clearly know all the details of the letter.

“Whatever insane person we’re dealing with wants _me_ ,” Byakuya mutters, clearly deep in thought. “Why me? What do they need me for?”

“Komaru… she’s out there… all alone…” Naegi whispers. “With some kidnapper. I… how could this have happened? We have to get her back, Togami-kun.”

“How?” Byakuya snaps, finally looking Naegi’s way from where he’s sitting on his bed. “Would you rather me go, instead? Is that how you feel, Naegi?”

Naegi looks startled. “What? N-No. You’re my best friend, Togami-kun, but I just—”

Byakuya scoffs. “You seem far more interested in Komaru than the fact that this ‘kidnapper’ wants _me_ instead.”

“Togami-kun, she’s my sister! How can I not be worried?” Naegi’s eyebrows are scrunched up, and for the first time ever, Naegi looks like he’s ready to speak out against Byakuya. Touko loves Byakuya more than anything in the world, but… she can’t help but feel like her prince is in the wrong.

“You’re supposed to be _my_ adviser!” Byakuya reminds him sharply.

“Komaru is _my_ sister! What’s your problem?” Naegi yells. Touko has never seen this happen before. Naegi _never_ speaks up for himself. “You don’t care about me, Togami-kun. If you did then you would show an ounce of sympathy! I’m your adviser, n-not your… your slave.”

“I could have your head cut off for this,” Byakuya threatens, and Touko winces.

Naegi looks up at him. The determination that was present in his eyes before is no longer there. “... Okay. I’ll talk to you later, Togami-sama.”

Naegi walks out of the room. Touko glances like Komaru, who looks as if she’s about the bang on the glass. “That’ll b-be all,” Touko says hurriedly, and the mirror fades into black.

“What a jerk,” Komaru whispers. “What a jerk!”  
  
“H-Hey! Don’t s-say that about Byakuya-sama,” Touko defends.

Komaru stares at Touko. “Don’t you think what he did was wrong? I can’t stand him… I just…”

Touko sighs. “I admit that Byakya-sama m-may have been a b-bit unpleasant.”

“A bit?”

“S-Shut up!” Touko hisses. “He’s… he’s just…”

Komaru sighs, calming herself down. “I’ve known them both almost since I was born. My brother and Togami-san have always been best friends. Even when it didn’t seem like it, they were. Togami-san never said it, but I know they cared about each other. I know they still do. I think… Togami-san might have felt jealous.”

“W-What?”

“Makoto was so worried about me that he forgot to worry about Togami-san, too,” Komaru explains. “And Togami-san didn’t like that. He was so horrible about it, though! I’ll never forgive him. And I’ll never forgive _me_ either for making my brother worry like this.”

Touko has never felt this guilty in her life. And she barely knows this girl. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I d-dragged you into this m-mess…”

Komaru shakes her head. “No. I couldn’t left with Aoi if I wanted to, but I chose not to. Because I want to help you. And maybe coming here wasn’t my choice, but staying here was.”

Touko nods. _She’s… she’s really something else. I’ve never met anyone quite like her._

“I just don’t understand how you could love someone like Togami-san,” Komaru admits. “What do you see in him?”

Touko blinks. “What do you m-mean? You r-really are an idiot… he’s handsome, c-charming, k-kind…”

Komaru snorts. “I don’t think he’s any of those, but whatever you say, Touki.”

“D-Do you seriously not have any g-good memories of him? You m-must have talked with him a d-decent amount, considering your b-brother is his b-best friend,” Touko tells her. It makes the most sense, after all.

Komaru shrugs. “I didn’t talk with him a lot, or more… I tried not to. He was always mean. But, there is one thing I remember of him. I have this friend named Yuuta. He’s been my friend since we were ten, and he’s my best friend, really. His skin is a little darker than most people in the kingdom, and that never bothered me, but Togami-san was more… _ignorant_ at the time.”

Touko didn’t like where this was going.

“He asked Yuuta questions about his skin,” Komaru continues. “He didn’t mean any of it. He was genuinely confused. But he was also being a jerk—although unintentionally—and Yuuta felt really uncomfortable. So… I punched him.”

“You what?” Touko demands.

“I had to,” Komaru insists, at least having the decency to look sheepish.

“I n-never took you to be the v-violent type! Were you a d-delinquent in another life?” Touko asks, not entirely serious.

“Of course not! Now, let me continue,” Komaru says. “Where was I… oh, yeah, I punched him. That’s something I could’ve gotten killed for, by the way. If he had just told on me, I’d be beheaded, just like that. Even though I was just a kid…”

“That’s unnecessarily c-cruel,” Touko admits.

“It was an act of violence against the throne,” Komaru points out. “Any kingdom would have a kid killed for that, even if it’s messed up. But, the thing is, Togami-san didn’t say a word about it. He never even mentioned it or tried to blackmail me with it. He acted like it never happened. So, whenever I especially can’t stand him, I remember that. It reminds me that deep down, he’s a good person who cares about other people.”

Touko nods. “S-See? He is a n-nice person. He’s the one f-for me.”

Komaru shakes her head. “If you’re sure about that…”

Touko gives Komaru a nervous glance. “You w-were asking earlier about how there’s nothing t-to do… m-maybe you could show me how to c-cook some other things?” she suggests, feeling her anxiety spike.

Komaru looks ecstatic. “Really? Let’s do it!”

Komaru practically races over behind the counter, and swings the now unsealed fridge open with a skip in her step.

Before she even knows it, Touko finds herself smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this, and all comments and kudos are more than appreciated. Please comment if you enjoyed—it gives me validation :p
> 
> The next chapter will be in Komaru's point of view!
> 
> Just as a side note, all the characters that are tagged will come into play eventually, and they're all important to the story! There's also one side relationship that hasn't come up yet, but will soon. (I've chosen not to tag it yet.)
> 
> I hope you have a great day if you're reading this!
> 
>  
> 
> [follow my tumblr if you're interested!](https://emiiriii.tumblr.com/)


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